Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-11-11

He carried her hand to his lips humbly
his first purely unaffected action. She
slipped through the door, and softly closed
it behind her.
Reaching the upper deck she was re-
lieved to find her father had not returned,
and her absence had been unnoticed. For
she had resolved to keep de Ferrieres'
secret to herself from the moment that
she had unwittingly discovered it, and to
do this and still be able to watch over him
without her fathers knowledge required
some caution. She was conscious of his
strange aversion to the unfortunate man
without understanding the reason, but as
she was in the habit of entertaining his
caprices more from affectionate tolerance
OF his weakness than reverence of his
judgment she saw no disloyalty to him in
Withholding confidence that might be
disloyal to another, at won't do father
any good to know it, she said to herself,
land If it did it dugldn't to, q" she added
with triumphant feminine logic. But
the impression made upon her by the spec
tacle she had just witnessed was stronger
than any other consideration. The revela-
ton OF de Ferrieres' secret poverty seemed
chapter from romance of lrer own
weaving; for moment it lifted the mis-
cradle hero out of the depths of his folly
and seltshncss. She forgot the weakness
Of the man in the strength Of his dramatic
surroundings !; partly satisfied crav-
ing she had felt it was not exactly the
story of the ship, as she had dreamed il,
hr,t was IN ariSn1a N hon. Of
II that broke its monotony. That she
should soon learn perhaps from de Fer
rieres' own lips, the true reason of his
strange seclusion, and that it involved
more than appeared to her now, she never
for moment doubted.
At the end Of an hour she again knocked
softly at the door, carrying some light
nourishment she had prepared for him.
He was asleep, but she was astounded to
find that in the interval he had managed
10 dress himself completely in his anti
quated fnery. 1t was momentary
shock TO the Illusion she had been foster
ing but she forgot it in the pitiahle con-
trast between his haggard face and his
pomatumed hair and beari, the jaunti-
ness of his attire and the collapse of his
invalid figure. When she had satisfied
herself that his sleep was natural. she
busted herself softly in arranging the mis-
able apartment. With few feminine
touches she removed the sloveulineSs of
misery, and placed the loose material and
ostentatious evidences of his work on one
side. Finding that he still slept, and
know ing the Importance OF this natural
medication, she placed the refreshment
she had brought by his side and noise
lessly quilted the apartment HurryinS
through the gathering darkness between
| decks. she once or twice thought she had
heard footsteps and paused, but, encoun-
tering noone, attributed the impression to
her over consciousness Yet she thought
/ il prudent to go to. the galley first, where
she fingered a few moments before re-
turning 10 the cabin. On entering she
was little startled at observing figure
seated at her fathers desk. but WAS re-
iierec at finding it was Mr.. Renshaw.
He rose and put aside the book he had
idly picSed up. II am afraid / an, M.
an intentional intruder this time. Miss
: Mott But l found no one here. and 7